Social Activism - COVID 19 Edition

The following list of resources was offered by Erica Neufeld and Elizabeth Eichhorn when they presenting to the St. John's Social Witness Committee on Wednesday, June 24. We hope you will use this list as a way to begin educating yourself about races and other social justice concerns in America. Read the books and article, watch and listen to the multimedia, and follow the  personalities on various social platforms platforms. Follow along with St. John's commitments to social justice by watching our Summer series, St. John's Speaks Out, on our Facebook page Sunday mornings.

Social Activism - COVID 19 Edition

Educate yourself!

Read

• Christina Sharpe, In the Wake is about how we live after the wake of slavery. How do we conceive of Black life within the total climate of anti-blackness, and what can we see when we consider the view from the different aspects of the slave ship. It's also just a really poetic and gorgeous book.
• Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility “introduces the need for white people to understand and discuss racism by showing how all white Americans share complicity in maintaining racism as the bedrock of US society. The book should encourage white people to intentionally take steps in their own lives to dismantle white supremacy, confront white privilege and deconstruct the racist structures that underpin society”- Chelsey Dennis Reading Guide
• Angela Davis, Women, Race, and Class meticulously corrects history so we can understand the overlaps of systems and how they produce our reality today. She breaks any superficial race politics and instead prioritizes socialism and revolutionary thought at every turn. She also here discusses the many intersections of LGBTQ+ rights, Black rights, Gender rights, capitalism, slavery, neoliberalism, and much more.
• Angela Davis, The Meaning of Freedom is a set of transcribed speeches. She articulates how neoliberalism impedes our understanding of the world. She also disarticulates freedom from property and emphasizes instead how freedom cannot be dependent upon another's unfreedom--no one is free until Black women are free.
• Christians for Abolition of Prisons (this is run by a Hannah Bowman, a lay person in the LA Diocese)
• Just Mercy
• Locking Up Our Own
• Avoid buying books from Amazon. Try ordering from small-business (or even better… BLACK-owned bookstores) or try indie bookstores LA local: Eso Won bookstore
• Can’t afford to buy? Find PDFs and ePub files here!

Listen

• Angela Davis, Are Prisons Obsolete? She does a beautiful job of moving through the different questions people may have about reform v.s. abolition and how to keep sight of the goal. It's a really quick read. Click here for the audiobook on YouTube (let it autoplay and it'll continue through the chapters)
• Podcast lovers check out this link.

Watch

• 13th - Find on Netflix. They have a great BLM collection  
• Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s Interview  
• Naomi Murakawa’s Interview  
• When They See Us (Netflix)

‍Who to follow on Instagram

• NOT SHAUN KING - he is a thief  
• @thegreatunlearn - provides a link to a donation-based self-learning syllabus  
• @ihartericka - sex and body positive racial/social/gender “justice disruptor” with great great great resources  
• @sonyareneetaylor - author/poet committed to self-love, she has beautiful videos  
• @blmlosangeles - this organization is doing amazing things in the city and frequently posts ways to get involved with the movement in your community  
• @blackhistory - “because there is more to black history than egypt and slavery”  
• @labfourseven  
• @mvmnt4blklives  
• @theconsciouskid  
• @ethelsclub  
• @showingupforracialjustice  
• @brandonkgood  
• @revdrbarber  
• @PoorPeoplesCampaign

‍Hire and Learn More

• Racial Agency Initiative is a racial justice leadership coaching company led by Jeanelle Austin who is now serving in Minneapolis during the current civil unrest. Her work is done digitally, so people from all over the world are able to hire her.  https://raiofjustice.com/about/

‍Petitions

• change.org - FOR PROFIT. If you sign a petition through this, DO NOT “donate” here. The money does not go to the cause directly, but to the company.  
• colorofchange.org - NON PROFIT. Easy navigation and access to live campaigns  
• https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co

‍Donations/Actions

• gofundme.com - be wary of fake fundraisers  
• Organizations such as Black Lives Matter LA, causes backed by Reclaim the Block, and Equal Justice Initiative  
• Bail out protestors, donate supplies, MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN!  
• No money? Play through some Black Lives Matter Donation Playlists on YouTube. The ads donate to Black Lives Matter  
• Give to the Museum of Social Justice LAhttps://www.museumofsocialjustice.org/  
• Give your business to Black-owned businesses! Find them on these free Apps:  
• Eatokra - GPS locator for Black-owned restaurants in 35 states  
• I am Black Business - Connects consumers to Black-owned businesses  
• Black Nation - Advertises Black-owned businesses for free  
• IFundWomen- a list of black-women owned businesses

‍Email/Contact government Officials

• LA City Council  
• LAUSD Board of Education

‍Conversations

• Confronting passively/overtly racist statements is difficult, especially without the  vocabulary. Click here for some ideas.  
• Check your own views. Change your own vocabulary. Some phrases to reconsider about education can be found here.  
• Additional examples: Enslaved vs. Slave to separate a person’s identity from their circumstances. Enslaver vs. Owner/Master to avoid empowering the enslaver and dehumanizing the enslaved.  
• Stay calm, listen, and kindly point out inconsistencies in others’ narratives. Here are great ways to speak up without being confrontational.  
• Talk to your family and friends

‍Census/Vote!!!!

• 2020census.gov  
• lavote.net